What Hurts the Most
by thefrostedrose
Summary: ::Because she is the savior of the humani, and he is Death, and that is all they could ever be:: Enchantress spoilers! Virginia/Marethyu post-series


_Because the Enchantress was fabulous and I had to. Warning, contains spoilers._

* * *

The capitol of the new world is silver. It glimmers brightly in the sun, all of the homes the same size, all of the food just as nice. All the water just as pure. All the people just as equal. But the city absolutely glowed in the night.

As the moon rises, the city looks like it is being lit in a silvery fire, burning and shining with the greatest intensity that it can be seen from miles away. Virginia Dare watches the moon rise from the only home not the size of the others; the royal palace.

She doesn't want it referred to as a 'palace' of course, but the people insist. And what the people want, the people usually get. Of all the places to watch the moon rise in the extensive palace, the best is the throne room. It is late, and empty, and Aten has retreated to his chambers, so she watches it by herself, the moonlight slowly illuminating the expansive, pure silver room.

"Quite a view." A voice says behind her, and she tenses, slowly turning around so see a white-robed figure in the shadow of a massive column, bright blue eyes staring out at her.

"The best in the world." She murmurs, taking a step towards him, standing between her throne and Aten's. The man steps forward, and the claw in place of his left hand glints in the light.

"Nice crown." He nods, and she adjusts the diamond and silver crown perched on her black curls.

"It's silly." She says flatly. "I am not a queen."

"The people think you are, and this is all for the people, isn't it?" His eyes crinkle under the hood, and she blinks.

"I haven't seen you in a very long time." She comes out from behind the thrones, stepping down the few steps to stand in front of him.

"I've come to check up. Make sure things are still…on track." He says, and as he looks into her grey eyes, he can see her whole future spread out before him.

_…Aten, the Change slowly disappearing somehow, reverting back to his handsome young self…_

_ …The two rulers, arguing across a room about something passionately, though no one is there to witness their disagreement…_

_ …A ball, the two dancing in fine silks, admirers surrounding them, Aten whispering something in her ear that makes her smile…_

_ …Them alone, in a deserted corridor, standing far too close, his handsome face centimeters from hers. They kiss hotly…_

Marethyu blinks away from the vision, and looks at the wary young woman across from him. He wishes that vision would not be the future, but he knew that it would be true.

"Not many people have met you, Marethyu." She whispers, her eyes locking with his. "I made you a promise; a promise that I would find out who you are." Her words are low, but they echo off the high ceiling.

"And?" He asks. She shakes her head in defeat.

"Aten doesn't know. Scathach, Sophie, Shakespeare…when they were all still here, they didn't tell me. They knew, but they didn't tell me."

"Maybe for good reason." He says, and she smiles cruelly.

"It's no fun to be left out of the secret." She says, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You want to know?" He asks softly.

"I think I have a right to know who was protecting me throughout my childhood." Virginia replies. He shrugs.

"Okay." He slowly lets the robe slide off of him, leaving him in a tee shirt and jeans. A hand clamps over her mouth, her eyes go wide.

"_Josh_?" She finally whispers, shaking her head.

"I mostly go by Marethyu now, but yes, Josh." She stays still, frozen, the hand dropping from her mouth. "Don't I get a hug?"

"The last time I went to touch you, you said I shouldn't." She murmurs.

"I didn't want you to know it was me. But now, by all means, hug away." Without hesitation, she throws herself into his open arms. He can practically hear her heart beating erratically in her chest, and for a moment he wishes his beat along with hers. He can feel her tears soaking into his shirt. She finally pulls away from him, hastily wiping her tears, but still holding onto him.

"You look older." She notes.

"I do not age, but it serves me better to look a little older than fifteen." He says gently, and she looks down at the hook where his hand should be. Slowly, she runs her hand over it, and her aura sparks.

"The four swords?" She guesses, and he nods. "Can you ever get your hand back?"

"I can use my power to turn it back into a hand for a few hours at a time, but it has become a part of me." She shakes her head, and then leans it against his chest.

"No heartbeat."

"I am Death." He shrugs.

"You're different." She notes, her arms still locked around him.

"You're not." He says, and she laughs. Her hands wander over the curves of his face, and her touch sets his body on fire. Over the thousands of years he had been Marethyu, he had changed a great deal, but when he is with her, it is just like he is fifteen years old again, and nothing has changed. He, in all of his millennia of life, has never met anyone quite like her.

"It was you the whole time." She shakes her head.

"I've known you since you were born. Watched over you. Protected you. I know everything about you." He whispers.

"You didn't have to…"

"It was my pleasure." He breathes. "You were so kind to me."

"You were probably the only friend I had." She says softly. "I thought…you were dead. No one would tell me what happened to you. I thought…"

"I know." He says.

"So you knew I would find out, when I first met you on Danu Talis. You knew you would be the one to tell me." He nods. She blinks back tears, and he wipes the few stray ones off of her cheek.

"You do not cry often."

"No one's ever seen me cry. Except you, of course." She says quietly. There's a long silence.

"You look the part of the wonderful queen you are." He whispers, and she blushes slowly. Before he can say something else, her hands are on his face, pulling his lips to meet hers.

The contact sends a rush of adrenaline through him, and he knows that this will definitely be a night he will remember forever. She tastes like fine wine and just a hint of sage, and the feelings coursing through him are so great, that he feels the power take over him, turning his hook temporarily into a hand, allowing him to pull her closer, absorb every fiber of her being. His hands curl into her hair, and before he knows what's happening, she's pulling him across the throne room, down moonlight corridors, to her massive bedroom, onto her bed, over her, their lips connected heatedly to whole time. And hands are everywhere, gasps and moans and whimpers pierce the hot silence, and Marethyu allows himself to become Josh again, if just for one night.

* * *

Marethyu watches his hand turn back into the hook as they lay their in the aftermath, breathing heavily, trying to hang on to everything they had, everything they felt. He leans back again, letting out a sigh. Virginia is curled up besides him, her breathing heavy, hair mussed. She moves closer to him, and he closes his eyes, allowing himself to breathe in the moment.

"You will go." She says flatly.

"I must." He replies. Her fingers trace lazy circles on his muscled chest, and she buries her face into his tan shoulder.

"Why?"

"Because I am Death."

"And I can't go with you?"

"Your destiny is to watch over the humani and Elders here. They will become great civilizations." She lets out a noise of discontent, and he laughs lightly, running a hand down her pale arm.

"That's not an answer."

"No," He whispers. "You are destined to be with Aten. To…love him." She shoots right up, the sheets and blankets wrapped around her slim shoulders, and he sits up slowly, too.

"What?" She raises an eyebrow, then shakes her head. "I don't love Aten. I could never love Aten. He's arrogant, and we disagree on everything, and the Change is overtaking him."

"Somehow, he will find a way to reverse the Change, go back to the handsome youth he once was, and you two will be very happy together. You will be the greatest king and queen the world will ever know." He says, but he can't look at her.

"But I don't love him." Her voice has gone very quiet. "_I love you_." The words go straight to his heart, and when he blinks, another wave of the future rushes before his eyes.

_…Aten and Virginia, curled up in purple silk sheets, his arms pulling her close, whispering loving things in her ear, but her eyes are filled with unshed tears…_

_ …He holds her hand at public appearances, and she puts on a fake smile, not letting the public see her sad eyes…_

_ …He whispers that he loves her, and she can barely say it back…_

"I know." He whispers, meeting her eyes. "But it is your destiny-"

"_I don't care about my destiny_!" She cries. "I want to be with you and you alone."

"But the people…"

"I just want to be with you. And if that means giving up my place here…" She shakes her head. "Aten will be a fine ruler on his own."

"No," He says sternly. "It will disrupt everything we have worked for if you do." She looks away from him, trying to hold back her tears, and he instinctively tugs her into his arms. "I must go, but I will never forget this."

"Will I see you again?" She whispers, trying to breathe him in as long as she can.

"Maybe. But you can't spend all your time chasing me." Marethyu replies. "And you must believe me when I say that in all of my years, I have never loved anyone as much as I love you." She chokes back a sob, and he gently brushes the hair out of her face. He stands, dresses quickly, and leans back down over her. She's looking up at him with those magnetic grey eyes, and he knows that she's trying to cover up the pain she's feeling.

"I will never forget you." He murmurs, kissing her one last time.

"I love you, Josh." She says against his lips, and he sighs.

"I love you too, Virginia." And with that, he turns and leaves, trying to ignore her muffled sobs. At that moment, he wishes to run from his destiny, his path, but he cannot. For it is his destiny to break her heart in order for her to become the best queen the world has ever seen.


End file.
